Physics: Nuclear Physics

3

4

7

10

Long range

Short range

Variable range

Infinite range

$^{12}_{7}N$

$^{14}_{6}C$

$^{12}_{5}B$

$^{14}_{7}N$

Unbalanced

Balanced

Non-existent

Only repulsive

Beta particle

Gamma ray

Alpha particle

Positron

$^{12}_{6}C$

$^{14}_{7}N$

$^{16}_{8}O$

$^{15}_{7}N$

To attract electrons

To overcome the electrostatic repulsion between positive protons

To make the nucleus bigger

To keep the neutrons from decaying

The Strong Nuclear Force would increase its strength to pull the protons back together.

The Electrostatic Force would drop to zero, while the Strong Nuclear Force remains constant.

The Strong Nuclear Force would drop to zero, leaving the repulsive Electrostatic Force as the dominant force.

Both forces would increase in magnitude, causing the nucleus to become significantly more stable.

An attractive force that acts between all nucleons at very short distances.

An attractive force between protons and electrons that keeps the atom together.

A repulsive force between neutrons that prevents the nucleus from collapsing.

A force that only acts on radioactive isotopes.

The nucleus is often left in an excited (high-energy) state and needs to release energy to become stable.

Gamma rays are needed to carry away the excess protons.

The emitted alpha or beta particles collide with electrons to produce gamma rays.

The nucleus needs to lose mass to compensate for the change in atomic number.

Very low

Moderate

Very high

Zero

Heats up a substance

Removes electrons from atoms

Adds protons to atoms

Changes the color of a substance

A few millimeters of aluminum

A single sheet of tissue

A thin layer of air

Nothing, it goes through everything

Keeping the source close to the eyes

Using long tongs to handle the source

Wearing a woolen sweater

Storing sources in wooden boxes

Neutrons increase by 1

Neutrons decrease by 1

Neutrons stay the same

Neutrons decrease by 2

Alpha radiation can pass through the human body easily.

Beta particles are the same as helium nuclei.

Gamma radiation is an electromagnetic wave with no charge.

All radioactive isotopes are man-made.

Increases by 1

Decreases by 1

Remains the same

Decreases by 2

Gamma radiation

Alpha radiation

Beta radiation

Positron radiation

Gamma rays have no charge and high energy, meaning they interact very weakly with matter compared to the highly charged alpha particles.

Lead has a lower density than paper, allowing gamma rays to pass through the gaps.

Alpha particles are larger than the atoms in lead, so they get stuck.

Gamma rays travel as longitudinal waves which move through solids more easily.

It decreases by approximately 4 atomic mass units.

It remains exactly the same because the protons are replaced by neutrons.

It increases because the nucleus becomes more stable.

It decreases by 2 atomic mass units.

Non-ionizing radiation

Inert radiation

Ionizing radiation

Thermal radiation

Neutrons, Protons

Electrons, Protons

Protons, Neutrons

Mass, Atomic number

It decreases by 1

It increases by 1

It decreases by 2

It stays the same

Gamma

Alpha

Beta

Microwaves

Gamma decay

Beta-minus decay

Alpha decay

Nuclear fusion

The addition of protons to an atom

The removal of electrons from atoms to form ions

The splitting of a nucleus into two smaller nuclei

The emission of light from an atom

1.3 billion years

2.6 billion years

3.9 billion years

5.2 billion years

Becquerels

Seconds

Inverse seconds ($s^{-1}$)

Joules

The $20\text{g}$ sample has a shorter half-life.

The $20\text{g}$ sample has twice the initial activity.

After $5\text{ days}$, both samples will have the same mass.

The $10\text{g}$ sample will decay faster per atom.

Carbon-14 only exists in living cells.

Living organisms stop exchanging carbon with the atmosphere once they die.

Only living things contain nitrogen, which turns into carbon.

Carbon-14 is created by biological processes.

Alpha

Beta

Gamma

X-rays

1000

500

250

0

Living in a high-altitude mountain village

Living in an area with lots of granite rock

Ensuring your basement is well-ventilated to remove Radon

Taking more international flights

Positive (+1)

Negative (-1)

Neutral (0)

Positive (+2)

It is very light and easy to carry

It is a cheap plastic

It is very dense and absorbs most types of radiation

It makes the radioactive material last longer

It is harmless because it cannot penetrate skin

It is highly dangerous because it is strongly ionizing and causes intense local damage

It passes straight through the body without hitting anything

It turns the body into a magnet

Radon gas

Cosmic rays

Medical X-rays

Uranium in rocks

2

4

8

16

To ensure that Beta particles are all absorbed by the air.

To approximate the source as a 'point source'.

To maximize the count rate for better accuracy.

To reduce the effect of background radiation.

Hydrogen

Helium

Lithium

Beryllium

It is destroyed and disappears

It is turned into Helium

It is turned into Uranium

It turns into liquid water

Binding energy

Kinetic energy

Potential energy

Electrical energy

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of electrons

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons

Atoms of different elements with the same mass

Atoms with no nucleus

Positive

Negative

Neutral

Zero

It stays the same

It doubles

It is roughly halved for each new nucleus

It becomes zero

Fission produces highly radioactive waste; Fusion produces mostly harmless Helium

Fusion produces more radioactive waste than fission

Neither fission nor fusion produces any waste at all

Both produce exactly the same types of radioactive isotopes

The physical collapse of a reactor building

Radioactive particles that are dispersed into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion or accident

The reduction in the price of nuclear energy

The process of neutrons falling out of the nucleus

It increases continuously as the atoms get heavier.

It decreases continuously as the atoms get heavier.

It increases for light elements (fusion) and decreases for very heavy elements (fission), peaking at Iron.

It remains constant for all elements in the periodic table.

Fast neutrons are safer and don't cause explosions.

Fast neutrons are more effective at converting U-238 into Pu-239.

Fast neutrons produce less heat, meaning less coolant is needed.

Fast neutrons can be easily stopped by plastic shielding.

4 Protons $\rightarrow$ 1 Helium-4 + 2 Positrons + 2 Neutrinos + Energy

2 Protons $\rightarrow$ 1 Deuterium + Energy

1 Uranium-235 $\rightarrow$ 2 smaller nuclei + 3 Neutrons

4 Helium-4 $\rightarrow$ 1 Carbon-12 + Energy

To prevent it from spilling and contaminating the environment

To keep it warm

To make it easier to carry

To hide it from the patients

Increasing distance from the source

Increasing the time spent near the source

Removing all lead shielding

Touching the radioactive material

Kilograms

Sieverts ($Sv$)

Meters

Liters

Marie Curie

Isaac Newton

Albert Einstein

Charles Darwin

The radioactive isotope will immediately lose its radioactivity and become a stable element.

The carrier molecule will become highly radioactive and remain in the target organ indefinitely.

The isotope will circulate freely, leading to poor image quality and unnecessary radiation exposure to healthy tissues.

The hospital's gamma camera will experience a mechanical failure due to the lack of a carrier.

It makes the machine look nicer

It allows doctors to distinguish between different types of tissues or find abnormalities

It reduces the weight of the patient

It speeds up the decay of the isotope

The study of how atoms are formed

The moral principles governing the use of nuclear technology in medicine, energy, and warfare

The best way to build a nuclear reactor

The history of the discovery of the nucleus

Distributive Justice (how to fairly allocate limited healthcare resources).

The Law of Gravity.

The Principle of Nuclear Fission.

The Right to Bear Arms.

It determines how much oxygen the hospital needs to buy.

It describes how much more effective radiation is at killing cells when oxygen is present compared to when it is absent.

It measures the speed of oxygen molecules in the blood.

It is a ratio used to calculate the price of the treatment.

Children are immune to radiation, so there is no risk.

Because children's cells are dividing rapidly and they have a long life expectancy, they are more likely to develop a new cancer caused by the radiation years later.

Children become radioactive and cause cancer in their parents.

Radiation turns children into adults too quickly.